Impedance matching circuit for a multi-band radio frequency device

ABSTRACT

In an impedance matching circuit for a multi-band radio frequency device, a first radio frequency signal in a first sub-band of a multi-band radio frequency signal is selectively outputted. Further, a second radio frequency signal in a second sub-band of the multi-band radio frequency signal is selectively outputted. Selective outputting is done through partly shared and partly non-shared reactive elements, without the need to switch reactive elements.

This is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 10/003,997, filed Nov. 14, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,985,698.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an impedance matching circuit for a multi-band radio frequency device, and further to such multi-band radio frequency device, and an impedance matching method.

More particularly, such impedance matching is done at sub-bands of a multi-band radio frequency signal in order to match impedances between various parts of the multi-band radio device such as between amplifier stages, between mixers and amplifier stages, or the like.

2. Description of the Related Art

U.S. Pat. No. 6,243,566 discloses impedance matching for a power amplifier in a dual band transmitter for a radiotelephone. For example, such a dual band transmitter radiotelephone can use the GSM system which operates at 900 MHz, and the DCS system, which is similar to GSM except that it operates at 1800 Mhz. In a two-stage power amplifier, an inter-stage matching circuit matches the impedances between a first stage and a second stage of the two-stage power amplifier. The inter-stage matching circuit optimizes the impedances at 900 Mhz or 1800 MHz depending on which transmission mode is in use. Two field effect transistors are used as power amplifier stages. Between the stages is a 15 pF capacitance, and at the source of the first stage is a small 3 nH inductance which is connected to a voltage source. A 2.7 pF capacitance is connected between the inductance and the voltage source. A 100 pF capacitance is also connected to the voltage source with a diode connected from the 1000 pF capacitance to ground. A 1.5 kΩ resistor with an input node is connected between the 1000 pF capacitor and the diode. When a voltage source is connected to the input node, the diode turns on and the 1000 pF capacitance dominates the impedance of the interstage matching circuit. The capacitance values are calculated so that 900 GSM signals from the first stage of the power amplifier are matched to the second stage when the input node is connected to a 2.7 V positive voltage source. When a zero, negative, or floating voltage source is connected to the input node, the 2.7 pF capacitance is connected to the input node, and the 2.7 pF capacitance and the 3 nH inductance dominate the impedance of the inter-stage matching circuit which matches the 1800 MHz signals to the second stage. Thus, a voltage applied to an input node, and a diode switch determine a GSM mode or DCS mode of the impedance matching circuit. The impedance matching network, is thus shared for receiving GSM of DCS sub-band signals.

Other systems used with multi-band radio frequency devices include NMT-450 operating at 450 MHz, AMPS and D-AMPS operating at 800 MHz, PCS operating at 1900 MHz, or still other systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide an impedance matching circuit for a multi-band radio frequency device with reduced complexity and no need for external mode control of the impedance matching circuit itself.

It is another object of the invention to provide such an impedance matching circuit that avoids use of switches in a signal path.

In accordance with the invention, an impedance matching circuit for a multi-band radio frequency device is provided, the impedance matching circuit comprising:

a frequency selective network comprising a first frequency selective sub-network that is configured to selectively output a first radio frequency signal comprised in a first sub-band of said multi-band radio frequency signal, and a second frequency selective sub-network that is configured to selectively output a second radio frequency signal comprised in a second sub-band of said multi-band radio frequency signal, said first and second frequency selective sub-networks being switch-less networks.

The invention is based on the recognition that frequency selection of sub-bands using partly shared frequency selective sub-networks render switches obsolete. The invention is further based on the recognition that, when implementing impedance matching networks as an integrated circuit use of switches in series or parallel to a capacitor or inductor may cause the circuit not to work under all circumstances, depending on the parasitics associated with the switches and switched components. This is because a switch in IC form has a large resistance which degrades the performance of the inductor or resistor being switched, particularly at very high frequencies.

In an embodiment of an impedance matching network according to the invention, one sub-network is formed of a common inductor coupled to an input node of the impedance network and a reference potential such as ground, and, for dual band operation, a capacitor in a series arrangement of two capacitors, and another sub-network is formed of the common or shared inductor, and another capacitor of the series arrangement. In that embodiment, the one capacitor is connected between the input node and an output node for the lower sub-band, and the other capacitor is connected to that output node and a further output node for the higher sub-band. Herewith, a very simple network is obtained that automatically passes sub-bands to the two output nodes. Because there is only one inductor rather than two, had two separate impedance networks been used, also chip area is saved. By selectively switching on/off amplifiers for various sub-bands that are coupled to the impedance matching network, when implemented in a transmitter only the desired sub-band is transmitted. This embodiment may very easily be extended to multi-band operation including more than two sub-bands. For example, for three band operation, simply a capacitor is added to the series arrangement thus creating a third output node.

The impedance matching network may be implemented to accommodate differential or single-ended circuit elements such as amplifier stages, mixers, or any other circuit element where impedance matching for multi-band operation is needed.

In another embodiment of an impedance matching network according to the invention, capacitors for sub-band selection are provided that are coupled to successive nodes of a series arrangement of inductors. However, in this parallel-capacitor implementation, more inductors are needed than in the above series-capacitor implementation.

In an embodiment of the invention, the impedance matching network is included in a transmitter path a multi-band radio frequency device, and is arranged between mixer(s) and controllable amplifiers for different sub-bands.

In another or further embodiment of the invention, the impedance matching network is included in a transmitter path a multi-band radio frequency device, and is arranged between common pre-amplifier stages and controllable non-sub-band-shared amplifiers stages for different sub-bands.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a multi-band radio device according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of an impedance matching circuit according to the invention, coupled to a pair of quadrature mixers, for dual band operation.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of an impedance matching network according to the invention, for three-band operation.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of an impedance matching network according to the invention.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of an impedance matching circuit according to the invention, coupled between common pre-amplifier stages and separate amplifiers for sub-bands, for dual band operation.

Throughout the figures the same reference numerals are used for the same features.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DETAILED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a multi-band radio device 1 according to the invention. In the embodiment shown, signals are differential and quadrature. In other embodiments, signals may be single-ended and/or non-quadrature. Shown in detail is a transmitter part of radio device 1 with a pair of quadrature IF mixers 2 and 3, coupled to a signal adder 4. IF-mixers 2 and 3 mix base band signals I_IN and Q_IN with 0° and 90° phase shifted oscillator signals provided by an oscillator 5 via a phase shifter 6. At output side, signal adder 4 is coupled to an IF amplifier 7 that provides an amplified IF signal to IF phase shifter 8. IF phase shifter 8 provides differential quadrature signals to a pair of RF mixers 9 and 10 that otherwise receive phase shifted oscillator signals from an oscillator 11 via phase shifter 12. A signal adder 13 adds quadrature mixed RF signals. Further shown are controllable amplifiers 14 and 15 for a higher sub-band of the multi-band, in the example given dual band, and controllable amplifiers 16 and 17 for the lower sub-band of the multi-band, so-called PCS and CELL bands. In the example given there are two controllable amplifiers per sub-band. This is because, in transmitters, sub-bands such as PCS usually are split into two further sub-bands. Selectivity of these further sub-bands is achieved more upstream in the transmitter, by separate band pass filters (not shown in detail here). Because these further sub-bands are close to each other in frequency, there is no need to build in selection thereof in the impedance matching circuits of the invention as shown in detail in FIGS. 2-5. For selection of the PCS sub-band, amplifiers 14 and 15 are switched on and amplifiers 16 and 17 are switched off. For selection of the CELL sub-band, amplifiers 16 and 17 are switched on and amplifiers 14 and 15 are switched off.

FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of an impedance matching circuit 20 according to the invention, coupled to quadrature mixers 9 and 10, for dual band operation. Signal adder 13 is implemented by connecting respective differential outputs of mixers 9 and 10 in common input nodes 21 and 22. Impedance matching network 20 comprises inductors 23 and 24 respectively being coupled between nodes 21 and 22 and ground, a series arrangement of capacitors 25 and 26 coupled to input node 21, and a series arrangement of capacitors 27 and 28 coupled to input node 22. Series arrangements of capacitors 25 and 26, and of capacitors 27 and 28, have output nodes 29 and 30 for the CELL band, and output nodes 31 and 32 for the PCS band. Capacitors 25 and 26, and 27 and 28, are dimensioned such that for the higher frequency PCS sub-band, RF signal flow effectively and substantially is via signal paths formed by capacitors 25 and 26, and 27 and 28, the other signal paths via capacitors 25 and 27 alone effectively being short-circuits, and that for the lower CELL sub-band, RF signal flow effectively and substantially is via signal paths formed by capacitors 25 and 27 alone. As compared to prior art solutions that use separate and non-shared matching circuits for dual-band, at least two mixers, an RF phase shifter are saved.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of an impedance matching network 40 according to the invention, for three-band operation. In addition to inductors 23 and 24, and capacitors 25, 26, 27, and 28, for three sub-band operation, impedance matching circuit 40 has capacitors 41 and 42. Herewith, differential output signals 43, 4, and 45 for three sub-bands are obtained.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of an impedance matching network 50 according to the invention. Impedance matching network 50 has a series arrangement of inductors 51, 52, and 53 between input node 21 and ground, and a series arrangement of inductors 54, 55, and 56 between input node 22 and ground. For sub-band selection of three sub-bands, capacitors 57 and 58, capacitors 59 and 60, and capacitors 61 and 62 are provided. Capacitors 57 and 58 select the highest sub-band, capacitors 59 and 60 select the mid sub-band, and capacitors 61 and 62 select the lowest sub-band.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of an impedance matching circuit 70 according to the invention, coupled between common pre-amplifier stages 71, 72, and 73, and separate amplifiers 74 and 75 for sub-bands, for dual band operation. Impedance matching circuit 70 has the same structure as impedance matching circuit 20, and comprises inductors 76 and 77, and capacitors 78, 79, 80, and 81. With one of the amplifiers 74 and 75 switched on at a time, the other one of amplifiers 74 and 75 is switched off.

In view of the foregoing it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims and that the invention is thus not limited to the examples provided. The word “comprising” does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps than those listed in a claim. 

1. An impedance matching method for a multi-band radio frequency device, said impedance matching method comprising: selectively outputting a first radio frequency signal comprised in a first sub-band of a multi-band radio frequency signal; selectively outputting a second radio frequency signal comprised in a second sub-band of said multi-band radio frequency signal, said first and second selectively outputting being done without applying switching in a signal path, wherein said first and second frequency sub-bands pass through a common reactive element, said common reactive element further comprising an inductor; wherein a first frequency selective sub-network for outputting said first radio frequency signal comprises a common reactive element of a first type, and a first reactive element of a second type, and a second frequency selective sub-network for outputting said second radio frequency signal comprises said common reactive element, and a second reactive element of said second type, said first and second reactive elements being arranged in series, said first radio frequency signal being outputted at a first node of said series arrangement and said second radio frequency signal being outputted at a second node of said series arrangement, wherein said first node is located in a signal path between said first and second reactive elements.
 2. An impedance matching method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising selectively outputting a third radio frequency signal comprised in a third sub-band of a multi-band radio frequency signal, said third selectively outputting being done without applying switching in the signal path.
 3. An impedance matching method for a multi-band radio frequency device, said impedance matching method comprising: via a first frequency selective sub-network, selectively outputting a first radio frequency signal comprised in a first sub-band of a multi-band radio frequency signal; via a second frequency selective sub-network, selectively outputting a second radio frequency signal comprised in a second sub-band of said multi-band radio frequency signal, said first and second selectively outputting being done without applying switching in a signal path, wherein said first and second frequency sub-bands pass through a common reactive element, said common reactive element further comprising an inductor; wherein said first frequency selective sub-network comprises a common reactive element of a first type, and a first reactive element of a second type, and said second frequency selective sub-network comprises said common reactive element, and a second reactive element of said second type, said first and second reactive elements being arranged in series, said first radio frequency signal being outputted at a first node of said series arrangement and said second radio frequency signal being outputted at a second node of said series arrangement, wherein said first node is located in a signal path between said first and second reactive elements.
 4. An impedance matching method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising, via a third frequency selective sub-network, selectively outputting a third radio frequency signal comprised in a third sub-band of a multi-band radio frequency signal, said third selectively outputting being done without applying switching in the signal path.
 5. The impedance matching method of claim 3, further comprising, receiving, via an input circuit, the multi-band radio frequency signal, wherein the input is an adder circuit.
 6. The impedance matching method of claim 5, wherein the adder circuit is comprised of connected nodes for receiving signals from first and second mixer circuits.
 7. The impedance matching method of claim 3, further comprising, receiving, via an input circuit, the multi-band radio frequency signal, wherein the input circuit is comprised of at least one input terminal for receiving said multi-band radio frequency signal.
 8. The impedance matching method of claim 7, wherein said multi-band radio frequency signal is received from a pre-amplifier stage commonly used for multi-band signal amplification, and said first and second radio frequency signals are signals for input to a first non-sub-band-shared amplifier stage configured to amplify said first radio frequency signal, and a second non-sub-band-shared amplifier stage configured to amplify said second radio frequency signal, respectively. 